This book is a compilation of scholarly papers presented at the second annual research workshop of the Institute for Urban Affairs and Research at Howard University. Three broad areas of interest are represented by the theme of the conference: Afro-American life style and educational development, policy and organizational development in education, and, curriculum and student development. Included in the first area are a keynote address and two papers dealing with the following questions: (1) Under what conditions can an Afro-American life style co-exist with educational development in school systems in the United States? (2) What are some significant variables in an Afro-American life style that contribute to educational development in school systems? (3) What factors in the Afro-American life style bear a disjunctive relationship to educational development? (4) To what extent do teacher attitudes present a handicapping condition in the development of a healthy learning self-concept among black pupils? The papers included in the second area present a detailed analysis of the stifling effects of institutional culturalism and provide a social, political, and historical context in which to view the problems and possible solutions inherent in improving the quality of services delivered to Afro-American children in urban environments. The papers included in the third area examine both the constituents of an educational system, (the teacher, the pupil, and the curriculum), and the context in which the three components interact. Specific topics covered in this section include special education and the black community, the school social worker, the impact of teacher attitudes on black learners, the role of black administrators in the educational process and the role of the black researcher in restructuring public education. (Author/BS)